The idea of incorporating a material having a particular scent with an object so that the object maintains a desired fragrance is embodied in numerous inventions. One of the more common ways in which to provide a desired fragrance to an object is to apply a thin film of microencapsulated material having a particular scent producing element therein onto the surface of the object. The scent is released by breaking the capsules containing the scent producing element. This concept of microencapsulated scents is commonly referred to as "scratch and sniff" technology. Another manner in which to impart a particular scent onto an object is to simply apply a thin film of odorous material such as an oil onto the surface of the object. A protective coating may then be placed over the oil wherein the scent is activated by scratching the protective layer to expose the thin film.
An example of a device which incorporates "scratch and sniff" technology is U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,735 to Rua. This invention discloses a scratch-off game piece which contains a fragrance which is released during the game play action. The game piece is constructed by application of layers of fragrance-containing encapsulated material and scratch-off material over a support layer of printed sheet material such that when the scratch-off material is removed by the player, the fragrance-containing capsules are ruptured and the fragrance is released.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,974 to Carnahan, et al., discloses a coloring book or the like that is provided with an image area that releases an appropriate fragrance upon being colored or painted by the user. Microcapsules that contain fragrance oil for a particular fragrance associated with the image area are deposited on the image area of a substrate sheet. Inert walls of material such as gelatin restrain the fragrance within the microcapsules until activated. The invention enables the release of fragrances in the normal course of coloring an image without requiring an action such as scratching or pulling apart of the substrate sheets in which the image is placed.
Other examples of inventions which utilize a releasable fragrance or scent include U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,243 for fragrance-releasing crayons; U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,585 for educational toys having fragrance association means; U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,203 for a scratch and smell game; U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,224 for a scratch and smell puzzle; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,860 for a fragrance-releasing envelope.
Representative of general "scratch and sniff" technology includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,655,129 to Seiner, U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,179 to Carson, III, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,633 to Doree, et al.
In terms of pet toys, efforts have been made toward providing pet toys which contain a fragrance or scent which stimulate the olfactory sense of an animal. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,334 to Axelrod discloses a chewing toy for animals which includes flavor and odor components. These components are impregnated into the nylon substrate of the toy by immersing the toy in an aqueous solution and subjecting the toy to prolonged contact with the solution. The solution is absorbed by the nylon substrate. The flavor and odor components are released when the animal chews on the toy.
Another chew toy having flavor and odor components is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,014 wherein an aromatic extract such as catnip or a meat flavoring is added to and uniformly distributed throughout a polyurethane toy during the initial formulation of the polyurethane.
Other examples of pet toys having a flavor or odor component are U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,444 to Axelrod which teaches a chew toy comprising a nylon piece impregnated with a desirable flavor and scent, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,811 to Axelrod which discloses a pet toy comprising an annealed nylon rope impregnated with a flavor and scent that appeals to dogs.
While the foregoing pet toy inventions may be adequate for their intended purposes, one common shortfall with each of these inventions is that activation of the flavor or scent component is dependent upon the action of the animal in engaging the toy. That is, the flavor or scent component is primarily activated only when the animal vigorously chews the toy. While the prior art toys may have some residual amount of scent and flavor, the real value of the fragrance and scent components are only realized when the animal actually chews on the toy. Thus, it is desirable to have a pet toy product wherein the scent component is not dependent upon the action of the animal, and wherein the pet owner may control either the intensity and/or duration of the scent provided to the animal. There is also a need for a pet toy product which may supplement or enhance the effectiveness of an existing pet toy by providing a pet toy product which has an activatable and controllable scent. Furthermore, each of the prior art pet toys utilize a comparatively complex manufacturing means to provide scent or flavor to the pet toy.
As for the foregoing inventions which relate to "scratch and sniff" material and technology, none of these references contemplate the application of "scratch and sniff" technology to pet toy products to enhance the effectiveness of an existing pet toy.